`571.272.7822
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`Paper No. 14
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` Filed: January 25, 2016
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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`_____________
`
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`____________
`
`APPLE, INC.,
`Petitioner,
`
`v.
`
`VIRNETX INC.,
`Patent Owner.
`____________
`
`Case IPR2016-00062
`Patent 6,502,135 B2
`____________
`
`
`
`Before MICHAEL P. TIERNEY, KARL D. EASTHOM, and
`STEPHEN C. SIU, Administrative Patent Judges.
`
`SIU, Administrative Patent Judge.
`
`
`
`DECISION
`Institution of Inter Partes Review
`37 C.F.R. § 42.108
`
`
`
`I.
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`INTRODUCTION
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`Apple, Inc. (“Petitioner”) filed a Petition (“Pet.”) on October 26, 2015
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`(Paper 1) requesting inter partes review of claims 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, and 12 of
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`U.S. Patent No. 6,502,135 (“the ’135 Patent,” Ex. 1001). Along with the
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`
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`
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`IPR2016-00062
`Patent 6,502,135 B2
`
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`Petition, Petitioner filed a Motion for Joinder (Paper 2, “Mot.”) with
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`
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`IPR2015-01046, The Mangrove Partners Master Fund, Ltd. v. VirnetX Inc.,
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`a pending inter partes review involving the ’135 patent.
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`VirnetX Inc. (“Patent Owner”) filed a Preliminary Response (Paper 10,
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`“Prelim. Resp.”) and an Opposition to the Motion for Joinder (Paper 9,
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`“Opp.”) on January 8, 2016. Petitioner filed a Reply to Patent Owner’s
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`Opposition to the Motion for Joinder on January 15, 2016 (Paper 12, “Reply”).
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`For the reasons described below, we institute an inter partes review of all the
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`challenged claims and grant Petitioner’s Motion for Joinder.
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`
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`II.
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`INSTITUTION OF INTER PARTES REVIEW
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`The Petition in this proceeding asserts the same grounds as those on
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`which we instituted review in the IPR2015-01046. On October 7, 2015, we
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`instituted a trial in the IPR2015-01046 matter on the following grounds:
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`Reference(s)
`
`Kiuchi1
`Kiuchi and RFC 10342
`
`
`Basis
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`§ 102
`§ 103
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`Claims challenged
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`1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, and 12
`8
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`The Mangrove Partners Master Fund, Ltd. v. VirnetX Inc., Case IPR2015-
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`01046, slip. op. at 12 (PTAB October 7, 2015) (Paper 11) (’1046 Decision).
`
`
`1 Takahiro Kiuchi and Shigekoto Kaihara, C-HTTP – The Development of a
`Secure, Closed HTTP-Based Network on the Internet, PROCEEDINGS OF THE
`SYMPOSIUM ON NETWORK AND DISTRIBUTED SYSTEM SECURITY, IEEE 64–75
`(1996) (Ex. 1002, “Kiuchi”).
`2 P. Mockapetris, Domain Names – Concepts and Facilities, Network
`Working Group, Request for Comments: 1034 (1987) (Ex. 1005,
`“RFC1034”).
`
`2
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`
`
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`IPR2016-00062
`Patent 6,502,135 B2
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`
`
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`In view of the identity of the challenge in the instant Petition and in the
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`petition in IPR2015-01046, we institute an inter partes review in this
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`proceeding on the same grounds as those on which we instituted inter partes
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`review in IPR2015-01046.
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`
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`III. GRANT OF MOTION FOR JOINDER
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`An inter partes review may be joined with another inter partes
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`review, subject to the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 315(c), which governs
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`joinder of inter partes review proceedings:
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`(c) JOINDER. – If the Director institutes an inter partes review,
`the Director, in his or her discretion, may join as a party to that
`inter partes review any person who properly files a petition
`under section 311 that the Director, after receiving a
`preliminary response under 313 or the expiration of the time for
`filing such a response, determines warrants the institution of an
`inter partes review under section 314.
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`As the moving party, Petitioner bears the burden of proving that it is
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`entitled to the requested relief. 37 C.F.R. § 42.20(c). A motion for joinder
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`should: (1) set for the reasons joinder is appropriate; (2) identify any new
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`grounds of unpatentability asserted in the petition; and (3) explain what
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`impact (if any) joinder would have on the trial schedule for the existing
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`review.
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`The Petition in this proceeding has been accorded a filing date of
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`October 26, 2015 (Paper 4), which satisfies the joinder requirement of being
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`filed within one month of our instituting a trial in IPR2015-01046 (i.e.,
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`within one month of October 7, 2015). 37 C.F.R. § 42.122.
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`Patent Owner argues that Petitioner’s Motion for Joinder “is barred by
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`35 U.S.C. § 315(b) . . . [b]ecause [Petitioner’s] untimeliness precludes
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`3
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`
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`IPR2016-00062
`Patent 6,502,135 B2
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`
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`institution under § 315(b) [and so] it also precludes joinder under § 315(c).”
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`Opp. 4. However, 35 U.S.C. § 315(b) states that “[t]he time limit . . . shall
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`not apply to a request for joinder.” 35 U.S.C. § 315(b). Hence, if a party
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`filing a time-barred petition requests joinder, the one-year time bar “shall not
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`apply.” This is confirmed by the Board’s rules, which provide that a petition
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`requesting inter partes review may not be “filed more than one year after the
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`date on which the petitioner, the petitioner’s real party-in-interest, or a privy
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`of the petitioner is served with a complaint alleging infringement of the
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`patent,” but the one-year time limit “shall not apply when the petition is
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`accompanied by a request for joinder.” 37 C.F.R. §§ 42.101(b), 42.122(b);
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`see also IPR2013-00109, Paper 15 and IPR2013-00256, Paper 10
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`(permitting joinder of a party beyond the one-year window). The Board’s
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`rules do not conflict with the language of the statute as Patent Owner
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`suggests.
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`We have considered Patent Owner’s arguments regarding an alternate
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`interpretation of the statute. See, e.g., Opp. 3–8. However, we do not find
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`these arguments persuasive for at least the reasons set forth by Petitioner.
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`See, e.g., Reply 2–3.
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`Patent Owner also argues that “joining . . . will have an impact on the
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`’046 proceeding.” Opp. 8. In particular, Patent Owner argues that the
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`“petition raises additional issues and evidence.” Opp. 8 (citing Pet 39–42;
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`Mot. 6). Patent Owner does not provide details about any specific
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`“additional issue” that is allegedly raised. However, referring to the cited
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`portions of the Petition and Motion, Petitioner states that Petitioner “is also
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`filing . . . additional evidence confirming that RFC 1034 is a printed
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`publication that was publicly available before the earliest effective filing
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`4
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`IPR2016-00062
`Patent 6,502,135 B2
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`date of the challenged claims” (Pet. 39; Mot. 6). Hence, Patent Owner
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`
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`appears to argue that the Petition in this matter raises the “additional issue”
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`of whether RFC 1034 is a printed publication that was publicly available
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`before the earliest effective filing date of the challenged claims.
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`We note that Patent Owner previously argued that “the burden is on
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`Petitioner to establish that RFC 1034 . . . was ‘sufficiently accessible to the
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`public interested in the art’” but that Petitioner allegedly failed to do so.
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`IPR2015-01046, Prelim. Resp. 20–21 (Paper 9). In other words, the issue of
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`whether RFC 1034 is a printed publication that was publicly available before
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`the earliest effective filing date of the challenged claims was previously
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`raised by Patent Owner. Thus, this issue cannot be an “additional issue”
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`raised subsequently by Petitioner. In any event, even assuming that this
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`issue is an “additional issue” raised by Petitioner, Patent Owner does not
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`explain sufficiently how this “additional issue” would impact this
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`proceeding adversely or how an impact, if any, would preclude joinder.
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`Patent Owner requests that in the event that Petitioner’s Motion for
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`Joinder is granted, the Scheduling Order in IPR2015-01046 should be
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`adopted, that Mangrove “will be responsible for the preparation and filing of
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`any papers,” that “Mangrove will conduct the deposition of any VirnetX
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`witness,” that “Mangrove will be responsible for any redirect of its expert,”
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`and that “Mangrove will conduct all oral arguments.” Opp. 10.
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`As a Petitioner in IPR2016-01046, Apple, Inc. shall adhere to the
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`existing schedule of IPR2015-01046. All filings by Apple, Inc. in IPR2015-
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`01046 shall be consolidated with the filings of the other petitioner, unless the
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`filing involves an issue unique to Apple, Inc. or states a point of
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`disagreement related to the consolidated filing. In such circumstances,
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`5
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`IPR2016-00062
`Patent 6,502,135 B2
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`Apple, Inc. may make a separate filing of no more than five pages, without
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`
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`prior authorization of the Board. The page limits set forth in 37 C.F.R.
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`§ 42.24 will apply to all consolidated filings.
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`Apple, Inc. is bound by any discovery agreements, including
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`deposition arrangements, between Patent Owner and the IPR2015-01046
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`petitioner and shall not seek any discovery beyond that sought by the
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`IPR2015-01046 petitioner. Patent Owner shall not be required to provide
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`any additional discovery or deposition time as a result of joinder. The
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`IPR2015-01046 petitioner shall designate attorneys to conduct the cross-
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`examination of any witness produced by Patent Owner and the redirect
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`examination of any other witness, within the timeframes set forth in
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`37 C.F.R. § 42.53(c) or agreed to by Patent Owner and the IPR2015-01046
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`petitioner. No individual petitioner will receive any additional cross-
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`examination or redirect examination time. Moreover, if an oral hearing is
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`requested and scheduled, the IPR2015-01046 petitioner shall designate
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`attorneys to present at the oral hearing in a consolidated argument.
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`The Board expects Apple, Inc. and Patent Owner to resolve any
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`disputes between them and/or with the IPR2015-01046 petitioner and to
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`contact the Board only if such matters cannot be resolved.
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`
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`IV. ORDER
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`For the reasons given, it is
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`
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`ORDERED that Petitioner’s Motion for Joinder is granted;
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`FURTHER ORDERED that IPR2016-00062 is instituted and joined
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`with IPR2015-01046;
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`FURTHER ORDERED that the grounds on which IPR2015-01046
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`6
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`
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`IPR2016-00062
`Patent 6,502,135 B2
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`
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`was instituted are unchanged and no other grounds are included in the joined
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`proceeding;
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`FURTHER ORDERED that the Scheduling Order entered in
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`IPR2015-01046 (Paper 12) as modified by the Order changing due date 1
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`(Paper 20) remain unchanged and shall govern the schedule of the joined
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`proceedings;
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`FURTHER ORDERED that, throughout the joined proceeding,
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`Mangrove will file papers, except for motions that do not involve the other
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`party, as a single, consolidated filing; that the filing party (Mangrove) will
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`identify each such filing as a Consolidated Filing;
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`FURTHER ORDERED that any separate filing by Apple, Inc. in
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`IPR2015-01046 must not exceed five pages, without prior authorization of
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`the Board;
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`FURTHER ORDERED that Apple, Inc. is bound by any discovery
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`agreements between Patent Owner and the other petitioner in IPR2015-
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`01046 and that Apple, Inc. shall not seek any discovery beyond that sought
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`by the other petitioner in IPR2015-01046;
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`FURTHER ORDERED that all petitioners in IPR2015-01046 shall
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`collectively designate attorneys to conduct the cross-examination of any
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`witness produced by Patent Owner and the redirect examination of any other
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`witness; within the timeframes set forth in 37 C.F.R. § 42.53(c) or agreed to
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`by the parties;
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`FURTHER ORDERED that all petitioners in IPR2015-01046 shall
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`collectively designate attorneys to present at the oral hearing, if requested
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`and scheduled, in a consolidated argument;
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`FURTHER ORDERED that IPR2016-00062 is terminated under
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`7
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`IPR2016-00062
`Patent 6,502,135 B2
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`37 C.F.R. § 42.72 and all further filings in the joined proceedings are to be
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`made in IPR2015-01046;
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`FURTHER ORDERED that a copy of this Decision will be entered
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`into the record of IPR2015-01046; and
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`FURTHER ORDERED that the case caption in IPR2015-01046 shall
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`be changed to reflect joinder with this proceeding in accordance with the
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`8
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`attached example.
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`
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`For PETITIONER:
`
`Abraham Kasdan
`James T. Bailey,
`WIGGIN AND DANA LLP
`akasdan@wiggin.com
`jtb@jtbaileylaw.com
`
`Jeffrey P. Kushan
`Thomas A. Broughan, III
`Scott M. Border
`SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP
`jkushan@sidley.com
`tbroughan@sidley.com
`sborder@sidley.com
`
`For PATENT OWNER:
`
`Joseph E. Palys
`Naveen Modi
`PAUL HASTINGS LLP
`josephpalys@paulhastings.com
`naveenmodi@paulhastings.com
`PH-VirnetX-IPR@paulhasting.com
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`
`
`
`Trials@uspto.gov
`571.272.7822
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`
`
`
`Paper No. 14
`Filed: January 25, 2016
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`
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`Example Case Caption for Joined Proceeding
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`
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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`_____________
`
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`____________
`
`THE MANGROVE PARTNERS MASTER FUND, LTD. and APPLE, INC.,
`Petitioner,
`
`v.
`
`VIRNETX INC.,
`Patent Owner.
`____________
`
`Case IPR2015-010463
`Patent 6,502,135 B2
`____________
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`3 Apple, Inc., who filed a petition in IPR2016-00062, has been joined as a
`Petitioner in the instant proceeding.